Director Rahul Rawail says this kind of hooliganism is not going to stop unless we filmmakers take a collective stand against it in support of Sanjay Leela Bhansali Padmavati.
Many including the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organization of the Rajput community, claim the film has distorted historical facts and protest against the film, which is based on the life of Rani Padmini or Padmavati.
Director Rahul in a statement said, “This kind of hooliganism is not going to stop unless we filmmakers take a collective stand against it.” Rahul’s release ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal’ was also protested 12 years ago, “no one stood by me. Today, Bhansali is lucky he has so many people speaking up for him. We need to stand up as one voice to oppose attempts to smother our right to make the film we want. Yesterday, the victim was me. Today, it’s Bhansali. Tomorrow, it could be someone else.”
“Is he making a historical or a semi-historical film? Either way, he has the right to re-interpret history according to his imagination. Bhansali earlier did his interpretation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s ‘Devdas’,” he said. Sanjay made a radical change in the story by making Sarat Chandra’s Paro and Chandramukhi come together which became a dramatic high point in the film after release.
Rawail claims to have gone through the script of “Padmavati” and says he has not encountered anything objectionable or offensive in it.
“Yes, there is nothing there to raise hackles, let alone cause a nationwide stir. What for? Let the film come out and the audience will know what’s what. Having said that, I must add that this is not about just Sanjay Leela Bhansali,” asserts Rawail.
He feels the attempt to muzzle moviemakers is an epidemic. He advises the anti-Padmavati brigade to not jump the gun and advise them to trust his judgment.
